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One man dead, two injured in central Qld mine shaft collapse

A man is dead and another seriously injured after the roof of a central Queensland coal mine shaft collapsed while they were trying to shore it up.

Sep 15, 2021, updated Sep 15, 2021

The roof fell in on the two workers, who were installing an underground support structure at the Sojitz Gregory Crinum Mine, north of Emerald, the mining union says.

There was nothing rescuers could do for a 60-year-old worker, who died in the shaft.

His colleague, a 25-year-old man, was hit by falling rocks and spent hours trapped in the rubble. He suffered crush injuries to his legs and pelvis but will survive.

Stephen Smyth, from the CFMEU, said a third worker escaped the rockfall but suffered a medical episode after witnessing it. He was also taken to hospital.

Smyth said the underground part of the coal mine had been in care and maintenance mode for a number of years, but work had recently begun to recommence production.

Preliminary information indicated the team had been sent into a drift – a near-horizontal underground passageway – to carry out repair and rehabilitation work.

“The initial information is that all three were working in the same area,” Smyth told AAP.

“My understanding, and it is preliminary, is that they were installing a roof support, which is a common thing, as part of an overall plan to re-establish the mine.”

He said such work would have been the subject of careful risk assessment and planning work, and normally the work plan would have been reviewed by a geotechnical engineer to ensure the activity was safe.

“I’m assuming all that would have been in place,” he said, adding safety arrangements will be a focus of the Mines Inspectorate and union investigations that are now underway.

The Gregory Crinum Coal Mine is operated by Sojitz Blue, the Australian subsidiary of Japan’s Sojitz Corporation.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk rose in parliament this morning to pay condolences to the man’s family.

“I can ensure Queenslanders that this matter will be the subject of a thorough investigation,” Palaszczuk said.

The Queensland Mines Inspectorate is investigating the accident and Resources Minister Scott Stewart said inspectors were already on site. He paid tribute to first responders, and extended his condolences and support to those affected by the incident.

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“Any loss of life on our mine sites is unacceptable,” Stewart said.

Mastermyne Group, which is the contract miner at the site, said the incident happened about midnight last night.

Managing director Tony Caruso said it was a tragic event and his immediate thoughts were for the family, friends and workmates.

“Our employee’s family has been notified of the incident and the company is providing them with our support and assistance. Counselling services have also been made available to all Mastermyne staff and others impacted by the incident,” Caruso said.

“The safety and wellbeing of our staff is one of our core values. The cause of the incident will be thoroughly investigated and we will continue to support the family and our work colleagues.”

He said relevant authorities had been notified and had commenced investigations into the cause.

Mastermyne was providing its full assistance with the investigations and mining operations had been suspended.

 

 

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